No Place I'd Rather Be
by LastOneOut
Summary: "When I am with you there's no place I'd rather be." A collection of Dorlin oneshots. (Accepting Prompts!)
1. Impluse Control

Tumblr Prompt: Accidental Kiss

* * *

Dory had never had time to think before she acted. Her hyper personality meshed with her inability to remember, well anything really, meant that she had to follow her gut and hope that things worked out. And it did, more often than not. She followed her gut all the way across the country with Marlin, out of several near death experiences, followed it to Nemo, and all the way to California, and now that she stood, smiling over at her family, she knew at last she had followed it home.

So when she saw them, her parents smiling proudly, Nemo and Marlin standing hand in hand, Hank walking next to her patting her on the shoulder fondly, she didn't think, she just felt. And those feelings led her to run up to Marlin, grab him roughly, and kiss him square on the mouth.

In the moments before her mind caught up with her she only knew that she felt happier than she had ever felt in her entire life.

Then she realised exactly what she was doing. Which was holding Marlin by the collar while she kissed the daylights out of him, which was something that she was pretty sure that she shouldn't be doing. After the realization struck her eyes snapped open and she leapt back, practically throwing Marlin to the ground in the process. Her face quickly darkened, the hot red blush spreading through her body.

"Oh no..." she whispered as she watched his face mimic her own, shock and blush coloring his features. Her eyes shot up and she briefly took in her family's expressions, noting their surprised and amused looks. Even Hank seemed happy, his bushy moustache doing nothing to hide his smirk. This was bad, and she knew she had to think of something but both her gut and her mind were less in sync that ever and she could hardly form words as Marlin, still blushing red looked up at her, his expression completely unreadable. The awkward silence soon became unbearable.

"So! I'm hungry, are you guys hungry?" Charlie interjected, stepping between them. Dory sighed, infinitely grateful for her father's quick thinking.

"I am!" Nemo said, his hand shooting up.

"I could eat." Hank shrugged.

"Good! We can go back to our place, it's not far from here." As the group started moving Dory let her gaze drop to the ground, making sure to keep her distance from where Marlin was walking. She kept her pace slow, mulling over the complicated emotions she felt rising in her gut. After a block or so Hank fell back to walk beside her.

"You ok, kid?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She gave him a weak smile before continuing, "Yeah...I'm alright." He nodded, and she let out a deep sigh, straightening her back and walking forward to join her parents. She didn't need to worry, everything would turn out fine.

'I'll forget it soon enough.' she assured herself, relaxing a bit. 'Yeah, just forget.'

* * *

And she did forget...for a while. Once they arrived at her parents apartment she got caught up in the excitement of finally seeing the childhood home that she had forgotten for all those years. Her parents laughed and tried not to tear up as she took in her old room, still set up exactly as it was the day that she was lost. She gasped each time she remembered something, her old stuffed toys, her posters and drawings, even her tiny bed with its adorable whale themed blankets. It was emotional to say the least, and Dory hardly noticed that Marlin was quieter than usual, only supplying a brief comment here and there.

It wasn't until much later, while they all sat around the living room laughing and sharing stories, Nemo adorably passed out on her lap, that she noticed the strange look Marlin was giving her. Deep in thought, his face resting on his hand and his brow furrowed as he started at her intensely. She stared back, her face showing her confusion. Why was he looking at her like that? Was he mad? Did something happen? Something did...what was it...

She blushed furiously and looked away as the memory returned. Right, she had kissed him like an idiot. She sighed and gazed down at Nemo for a moment before gently moving him off of her lap and standing.

"Sorry guys, gotta take a quick bathroom break." She said with a strained smile, before heading out of the room. She made her way down the hall, realising that she wasn't really sure which room was the bathroom, so she headed into her old room, walking quickly to the window and looking out. Fresh air, that sounded like a good idea. She spotted the fire escape, it looked sturdy enough, so opened the window and climbed out onto it. She sighed dejectedly as she got comfortable, staring out at the city below her. It was a warm night, not quite summer but close, and the air was cut through by a gentle breeze. She let herself breathe for a moment, trying to still the troubling emotions swirling within her.

The last few days she had been so excited to finally remember things, her family, her old home and friends. It was odd to feel the opposite as she desperately wished she could forget the embarrassing moment. She brought her head down and rested it lightly on the bar in front of her.

"Forget...come on, forget. Just...forget..." She whispered to herself. She groaned, no luck. She couldn't help but go over the memory again. For a moment it had been perfect. The thrill and joy and wonderful completeness. She knew she wouldn't have felt that if she didn't care for him that way. If she was honest with herself she had felt that there was something there for a while, she'd just never taken the time to sort it out and label it. She hadn't lied when she said that Marlin was home to her. He was the anchor to her memory, keeping her grounded and helping her remember that she wasn't alone anymore.

And now...her home was bigger. She had a family, parents, friends. They were her home too, but Marlin was still special. She sighed. Not that it mattered, his reaction showed that he didn't feel the same. It wouldn't work between them. He was a good five years her senior and had Nemo to worry about, he wouldn't have time for her, and that was ok. It would be fine, she just had to forget again. Then it would all go back to normal. Just like always.

"Dory?" She jumped at the sudden voice, turning to look back at the window behind her. Marlin stood there, staring at her with that odd look again.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"We were just starting to wonder if you were ok. You've been gone for a while."

"Yeah I'm...uh, just taking a breather!"

"Right." He gestured to the window, "Do you mind?" She shook her head and scooted to the side as climbed through and sat next to her.

"Dory, we need to talk." he said after a moment.

"I know..." She looked over at him and suddenly she felt the panic rising and the words came tumbling out, her brain running a mile a minute. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I was excited and I wasn't thinking and I just...I didn't mean to. I care about you and you're my friend and I don't want this to, you know, ruin things between us so don't worry about it." She turned and looked him in the eyes, desperation clear on her face, "I'll forget. I will, I always do. Then you can too and we'll both just forget and things will be normal again."

She sighed, looking away and trying to ignore the burning in her eyes. The silence stretched on for awhile, heavy around them, before Marlin shifted and spoke, his voice surprisingly light.

"Maybe I don't want to forget."

Her gaze snapped back to him, her eyes wide. "What?" She asked, disbelief obvious in her voice. He smiled at her and laughed.

"Just come here." He reached a hand up carefully and brushed her messy bangs behind her ear, before pulling her down into a kiss. This one was slower, filled with comfort and elation, and as she relaxed into she felt all of her worry and stress melt away, leaving nothing but that same wonderful completeness. When they eventually pulled apart she was blushing again, her pupils blown wide and her voice breathless.

"Wow."

"Wow what?" He asked, suddenly looking unsure.

"Just...wow." She smiled, "You're pretty good at this whole kissing thing."

"That's good." He replied with a smirk. "One of us ought to be."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, if you didn't know, you don't generally kiss someone by choking them out and then throwing them on the ground."

"Really? WeIl I'll try to remember that." She bumped his arm playfully, "Can't make any promises though." And then they were both laughing and smiling, the nervous tension breaking and leaving a blissful sense of relief in its wake.

They ended up holding hands and leaning against each other, staring out over the city in content silence.

Dory felt everything around her slowly click into place. She had found her family, she finally had her past all worked out and now, with Marlin's arm wrapped around her, she knew that she had done it. This was everything she had ever wanted, and she knew that she would never have to worry about forgetting again, because her family would always be there to help her remember.

"Hey!" The pair turned to see a window a few down from them slide open, and Hank pop his head out, "Would you two quit makin' out and get back in here? You need to get this kid to bed and I wanna go home."

Dory and Marlin blushed, flusteredly tripping over their words.

"Oh no we weren't-"

"Dory was just...see we were talking-"

"Yeah, talking! We were talking and-"

"Oh yeah, alright, 'talking'. Is that what they're calling it now?" Hank asked sarcastically as he slid the window closed. They both jumped to their feet, awkwardly climbing back into her room. Dory smiled to herself, yeah, this was home.


	2. Take A Break

Tumblr Prompt: Marlin is up late working and Dory pesters him to go to bed.

* * *

"Marrliiinnn."

"Dory, for the last time, you can go to bed without me."

Marlin sat at his desk, awkwardly trying to write while Dory wrapped her arms around him and whined. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was well past midnight, and while he was exhausted, he still had a hefty pile of paperwork to get through, a fact that Dory wasn't enjoying anymore than he was.

"But I don't want to…" she huffed, standing up again, "Why do you have so much paperwork anyway?"

Marlin sighed, "Well maybe because, unlike you, I have a real job."

"Excuse me," She punched his arm, "giving out..um…"

"Information booklets." he supplied.

"Yeah! At…um, the place that I do that.."

"The Aquarium."

"Yeah! That's a real job."

"Sure." He rolled his eyes, turning back to his desk, "Anyway, I'd be done sooner if you would leave me alone."

"Fine…" He heard her give a halfhearted 'goodnight' as she shuffled off to their room. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. That was better.

He barely got through a sentence when he heard her footsteps again.

"Marlin."

He groaned, "What."

"Did you know that missing sleep is bad for your health."

"I had no idea." He deadpanned.

"Yep. Sleep deprived people are more likely to get sick and are less attractive."

"What? Who told you that?"

"Um…" She looked around, tapping a finger to her mouth, "I don't remember. But it seems like it's true…"

"Dory, what exactly are you saying?"

"Just that a certain someone might not look so old if he occasionally went to be on time."

Marlin laughed, "You know you think I look good."

"Do I know that?" She asked, feigning confusion.

"Ouch." Dory smiled fondly at him and laughed.

"So, bed?" She asked, voice hopeful.

"I'm sorry, but I've really got to get this done." She deflated, and he stood, taking her hand and leading her over to the couch.

"Here, just lie down and go to sleep, I'll wake you up when I'm done ok?"

"Alright." She yawned and got comfortable, shifting around for a moment before settling. He sighed and walked back to his desk. After a moment the quiet whispers of Dory's sleeptalking filled the room, and he couldn't help but smile, before picking up his pen and getting back to work.


	3. A Day In The Life

Prompt: Nerf Gun Battle. This follows how Dory and Nemo spend an afternoon, with family feels, background Dorlin fluff and a cameo from Hank!

* * *

Dory trudged along the sidewalk, her feet aching with each step. She had just gotten off work, and while her job at the information desk of the local aquarium wasn't particularly strenuous, it had been a long day. Friday always brought in a lot of business and she was more than ready to head home and relax.

But first she had to...do something. She gazed down at the writing on her hand. It was slightly smudged, but she could still make out Marlin's neat handwriting, 'Pick Nemo up from school - 3pm'

Right! She quickly checked her watch. Good, only 2:30. She had just enough time to head home and get changed. She picked up her pace, feeling grateful that her job and Nemo's school were both within walking distance from their house.

She made it home with time to spare, quickly throwing off her uniform and switching to her usual running pants and blue sweater. She took a few seconds to make sure she had her phone and keys before heading out, hastily locking the door behind her.

"Hey, Dory!" She looked down the hall to see Hank walking her way, dressed in his usual red plaid and jeans. He was probably heading home from his job too, though she couldn't recall what it was.

"Hi Hank! What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Where ya headed?"

"Um..." She gazed at her hand again, "Oh! I'm going to pick up Nemo. You wanna come?"

"Might as well. Haven't seen the kid in a while."

"Great!" She checked her watch again, groaning when she read the time. 2:48, she'd have to hurry. "Let's go then, I'm in a bit of a rush"

"Aren't you always?" She shoved him playfully as they walked. "What, I'm not wrong, am I?"

* * *

"...and Mr. Ray says that the ocean covers...that it covers 71% of the whole earth."

Dory and Hank walked along, Hank giving Nemo an awkward piggy-back ride while he told them about what he had learned that day. Nemo's class was having an ocean unit, a fact that the child was thrilled about. Nemo loved the ocean, to the point that he pretty much talked about nothing else. His room was decorated in posters about fish and marine life, he had lots of stuffed whales, sharks and fish and he had even covered his prosthetic leg in ocean-themed stickers. He especially loved to visit Dory at her work on the weekends, never getting tired of the familiar exhibits.

"Oh yeah?" Hank asked, shifting to try to carry the kid better. "Stop wiggling so much, I'm gonna drop you." Nemo ignored him and kept talking.

"Yeah! I said that seemed like a lot but he says it's true. What do you think, Dory?"

"Huh? About what?" She asked turning back to the pair.

"The ocean!"

"Oh, I like the ocean. I work at an aquarium after all." Nemo gave her a look and she sighed. "I forgot again, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but it's ok."

"Ok, we're here, get down." Hank interjected as they reached the front door to the complex, letting Nemo down gently and handing him back his bag. "Thats the last time I give you a piggy-back ride."

"Sorry."

"No you're not." He tousled Nemo's hair roughly, "Alright, I've got some stuff to do, see you guys around."

"Bye Hank!" Nemo enthusiastically waved as the man walked away, before turning back to Dory.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm pretty hungry," She said with a smile, "Let's get upstairs and get a snack!"

"Can we have pizza rolls?" He asked hopefully.

She laughed, "Yeah, but don't tell your dad."

* * *

Dory sat upside down on the couch, her legs kicking idly against the top as she watched the movie Nemo had put on. She was trying to pay attention to the story, something about a penguin who tap danced, so she hadn't noticed Nemo leave until she heard his hushed voice coming from the hallway.

"Red One, this is Command, do you have eyes on target?" He said, adding his own radio-like static effects.

"Affirmative, ready for attack." He continued, faking a deeper voice.

"Copy, Red One, fire when ready."

She sat up, turning her head in confusion as she gazed into the hall. She could hardly see him, hiding behind a table, shrouded in a shadow. It looked like he was surrounded by stuffed animals of various sizes, and he was holding a nerf blaste-

The realization hit her and she rolled off the couch, narrowly dodging a barrage of foam bullets. She stayed low for a moment, before shooting up and dashing to her room, jumping behind the bed and grabbing her own blaster. She checked to make sure it was loaded before peeking her head around the side. She couldn't see Nemo, so she waited, considering her options.

"Traitor! We have you surrounded, come out with your hands up and we'll think about letting you live!"

She smirked, his voice giving away his location further down the hall.

"You'll never take me alive!" She shouted, diving out from her room and rushing back to the living room. She felt a single bullet hit her leg as slid behind the couch, so she cried out, feigning pain.

"You're injured! Do you surrender now?"

"Death first!" She yelled, standing and firing at Nemo, managing to take out several of his stuffed animals before she was hit square in the chest. She dramatically fell, groaning and clutching her 'wound'.

Nemo stood, switching sides and running to Dory. He took her hand and pretended to cry.

"Oh no! How could this happen! Hang on soldier, don't give up!"

She spoke slowly as if in pain, "I'm sorry captain, I'm not gonna make it out of this one." She coughed, closing her eyes. "Avenge me..."

"No! She was so young!" He stared into the distance, "Your death will not be in vain."

Dory held back laughter, before jumping up and grabbing a throw blanket off of the couch, tying it around her shoulders and cackling evilly.

"I am Dorys evil twin, Tory, and I will avenge my sister's death!" Nemo screamed in mock fear and ran into the hall again as Dory grabbed her blaster and started shooting after him. Their battle continued, filled with lots of dramatic deaths, declarations of revenge and battle cries, until they were both riddled with foam, laying in the middle of the living room laughing.

"Alright, alright," Dory said, "I give up, you win." She smirked and leaned over, tickling him,"But don't get used to it, I'll get you next time."

Suddenly a buzz came from the couch, and Dory sat up, rummaging through the cushions for her phone. When she found it she pulled up her recent messages, humming thoughtfully as she read the text.

'Dory, I'm gonna be late tonight, go ahead and have dinner without me. And pizza rolls don't count as dinner. Neither do cookies. And make sure Nemo is in bed by 8. Don't stay up to late watching tv and make sure-"

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to read the rest of the text. "Looks like your dad's gonna be at work late."

"Awww." Nemo's shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I know." She stood checked her watch for a moment before standing, fixing her rumpled clothes as she walked towards the kitchen "Well, I'm gonna go figure out dinner."

Nemo started to gather his toys, before noting that Dory was still standing in the doorway looking in confusion down the hall. He tossed his toys onto the sofa and walked over to her.

"Do you want help?"

She looked down at him with a blank smile. "With what?"

"Dinner."

She groaned, smacking her forehead and nodding. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

Together they managed to make a decent meal, eating the leftover chicken and green beans while the finished the penguin movie from before. With some prodding Dory agreed to having a few oreos for desert and put on a new show Nemo liked, but halfway through the first episode he started to nod off. She held back a laugh. He looked adorable, his face pressed up against the arm of the couch, hair messy and cookie crumbs still clinging to his face. She smiled fondly at him. Her life had changed so much since she started living with Marlin and Nemo. She had been alone for most of her life and having a home and a family was a feeling long overdue. The feeling had only grown as she found her parents, made friends with Hank and confessed her feelings to Marlin. Suddenly she had a life, a real one, and helping take care of Nemo was probably her favorite part of it. He was wonderful and excited and sweet. He had grown on her since the moment she met him, just like he had soon grown on her parents and Hank. She knew that as her family had grown so had his, and she couldn't ask for a better person to share with.

She let him sit for a moment longer before quietly clicking off the TV and gently shaking him awake.

"Come on sleepy head, time for bed."

She giggled as he groaned and sat up, rubbing his face adorably. She helped him stand and led him to the bathroom, heading back to her room to change herself, as he washed up. When he was done she trailed him to his room, helping him to bed as he took off his leg and got comfortable.

"Do you want me to read you a story?" She asked.

"No, I'm ok for tonight."

"Alrighty," She reached over to tuck him in, stopping when he spoke up again.

"Dory?"

"Yeah?"

"Now that you and Dad are together...does that mean that you're like my mom?"

Dory blushed, leaning back, "Um...well, I guess it could mean that." She smiled at Nemo, reaching over to hold his tiny hand in her own, "Do you want me to be like your mom?"

"Yes." He yawned, "Is that ok?"

"Yes, Nemo, that's ok." She smiled and squeezed his hand, before finishing tucking him in, "Now get some sleep, kay?"

"Kay..."

Dory reached over to switch off his lamp, leaving his shell shaped nightlight on so that the cute pattern danced on the ceiling. She walked to the door, moving to close it on her way out, when Nemo's quiet voice called out to her again.

"Dory...love you."

She couldn't help the adoring smile that spread across her face, matching the warm feeling in her heart.

"I love you too, Nemo."

She left the door cracked and turned to head to the kitchen, jumping slightly as she nearly plowed into Marlin. He looked quite the sight, slouching, the bags under his eyes more prominent and his hair mussed.

"Oh, hey Marlin. How was work?" She asked, keeping her voice hushed.

"Long." He sighed, before grinning as he looking down at the pillows, stuffed animals and nerf bullets that still littered the hallway. Dory mentally smacked herself, of course she forgot to clean up. "Looks like you guys had a busy day."

"Yeah. I was attacked by the resistance...or was I the resistance...Either way, war was the only option." she smiled sheepishly, "I'll uh, get this cleaned up."

"Don't worry about it, it's late." He gave her another smile as he turned to drop his bag and coat on the couch. "So..." he paused, turning back to her, "I heard you and Nemo talking."

"What?" She paused for a second, thinking back, before blushing again as the memory returned, "Oh, right...you heard that?"

He nodded, and Dory suddenly felt ashamed. She knew about what happened to Marlin's wife, and had been pretty hesitant about some things, especially after they started dating. She worried that she would overstep a boundary, still unsure of how she fit into everything in his mind.

"I..um, I'm sorry. I don't...I know I'm not his real-"

"Dory, it's ok." He reached over and took her hands in his, giving them a comforting squeeze, "Nemo never had the chance to know his mom, and...and if he wants you to step into that role, I don't mind. Besides..." He paused, looking down, "Because of the way I was after everything, Nemo's been pretty lonely his whole life. I'm glad he has you."

"Well," She shrugged, "I know what lonely feels like."

"Yeah, me too."

She pulled him into a quick hug, before stepping back and looking to the kitchen awkwardly. "Umm... I can't remember if I cooked anything..."

"That's ok, I'm too tired to eat."

"Kay."

He reached up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Goodnight, Dory."

She smiled, returning the gesture before heading back to her room. She stopped for a second, blushing deeply and turning back to him.

"Hey, Marlin?"

"Yeah?"

"Um...can I maybe...sleep with you tonight?"

He smiled, "Yeah, Dory, you can." She grinned and walked over to him, taking his hand and following him to his room.

Later, tucked in close to Marlin, his arms wrapped around her, she couldn't quite remember all of the reasons she felt so completely content, but she didn't mind. She was home.


End file.
